Israeli Occupation seizes 36% of Ibrahimi Mosque area, citing Jewish holidays

The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) closed the Ibrahimi Mosque to worshippers on Monday, citing Jewish holidays as the reason.

This closure is part of a broader policy of temporal and spatial division imposed by Israeli Occupation authorities, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs.

The IOF permanently seized approximately 36 percent of the mosque’s area.

The ministry condemned the closure, which occurs for 10 days each year during Jewish holidays, as a severe violation of the mosque's sanctity and an infringement on Palestinians' right to worship.

It described the action as a deliberate provocation and assault on Muslims’ right to access their places of worship freely and safely.

In July, “Israeli” authorities prevented the call to prayer at the Ibrahimi Mosque 43 times as part of their efforts to enforce this division.

Additionally, on July 11, they covered the exposed area of the mosque’s courtyard in the seized section, which serves as the mosque's only open space.

The Israeli Occupation often uses Jewish holidays as a pretext to escalate repressive measures against Palestinians, restricting their daily lives, movement, and economic activities.

These occasions also see increased raids by extremist “Israeli” groups on both Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem and the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron.